In Wake of Protest Over Police Murder, Cops Crack Down on Journalism in Fullerton, CA

by Steven Argue
Sunday Jan 19th, 2014 8:36 AM

[Photo: Political Prisoner Arrested For Journalism, Patti Beers]

In Wake of Protest Over Police Murder, Cops Crack Down on Journalism in Fullerton, CA

At yesterday's protest against the acquittal of the police murderers of Kelly Thomas, 13 people were arrested. Actually, many of the people arrested were kidnapped by the cops as they tried to walk away from the protest. These included an independent media person, Patti Beers, who was arrested filming the arrest of others walking away from the protest. She is being held on $500 bail.

Kelly Thomas was a homeless man brutally beaten to death by the Fullerton Police. As Political Blind Spot described from video that has been released of the beatings:

"In the moments before he lost consciousness, Kelly Thomas cried out for his dad 31 times. He yelled “help me” 26 times and cried out “I’m sorry” 15 times. He responded “OK” to police, a full 29 times and used words like “Sir” and “Please” when speaking to the officers who beat him to death. Those two former Fullerton California police officers walked free this week, found not guilty of any wrong doing in the murder of Thomas."

According to the corporate media, 200 people showed up at the protest, but actual numbers are much higher. Kelly Thomas's sister, Tina Kinser, said of the protest, "I appreciate this [turnout] so much more than anything, it helps us to know that there are so many people fighting for justice.”

The arrest of Patti Beers is being ignored in the corporate media. Instead, they are focusing on one person who attacked a camera person for CBS2, a corporate media station that has the backing of the police. Typically, that was the only violence covered by the corporate media and police violence against peaceful protesters and the independent media were ignored. That woman who attacked that camera person may well have been an agent provocateur. Useless violence perpetrated by undercover police agents are a very common tactic used by police departments and the FBI in the United States to justify police repression and attempt to discredit protests.

Other than that one person, we demand:

Immediate Freedom For Patti Beers and the other Protesters in Fullerton!

Jail the Killer Cops who Beat Kelly Thomas to Death as he Pleaded for his Life!

In the United States the police are directed to go out and harass and brutalize poor people, working class people, people of color, and radical activists. They are also allowed to literally get away with murder while carrying out those orders. It is a problem that is thoroughly systemic under a capitalist state that is at war with its people.

At the heart of the capitalist state is its cops, prisons, courts, and military. The ruling wealthy of this country like brutal cops because they know that it is only people with no connection to humanity who will defend their interests. To end police brutality against the poor, working class, and people of color will take smashing the capitalist state in a proletarian revolution. The Revolutionary Tendency is committed to that cause.

Patti Beers has been released, probably due to public outcry. The questionable woman (agent provocateur?) who assaulted the CBS2 camera crew has also been released. Seven people remain in custody. Many of those arrested were arrested walking away from the protest. They were arrested with police out of uniform rolling up in unmarked vans and snatching them off the streets. We must continue to demand:

Free the Rest of the Jailed Protesters! Drop All Charges! Jail the Killer Cops Who Murdered Kelly Thomas!

-Steven Argue of the Revolutionary Tendency

To support those arrested, join this group on Facebook for more information as developments occur:

Here is Patti Beers being arrested for filming the protest from her own footage. Journalists (and others) filming police misconduct is officially not illegal in America. Unofficially, the police are directed to carry out this kind of repression and always get away with it and usually will until we smash the capitalist state. This is raw footage, not much happens until the very end.

I never called the woman who attacked the CBS2 reporter directly an agent provocateur, but suggested she may be. I also purposely didn't use her name. I raised the question based on what I saw in the video of what took place at regular speed. I have now looked at the video in slow motion and while it still seems weird to me seeing the manner she approaches the reporter, it does look like the reporter struck out first.

Here is film footage of the woman accused of attacking the CBS2 reporter. I didn't look at it earlier in slow motion and thought it a ridiculous attack by a potential agent provocateur. Yet, in slow motion here it appears that the CBS2 reporter may have initiated the attack: